2012 Victory Cross Country

SADDLEBAG FLEW OPEN ON THE HIGHWAY, LOST MY RAINGEAR, AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS ADDING TO ABOUT $200.00. PULLED OVER AND STOPPED AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT HAND SADDLEBAG LATCH LOOKED SEVERELY WORN.. THEN CHECKED THE LEFT HAND SADDLEBAG LATCH AND LOOKED LIKE NEW. AFTER DOING SOME COMPARES WITH OTHER OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, IT APPEARS THIS RIGHT HAND SADDLEBAG LATCH ISSUE AFFECTS ALL VICTORY MOTORCYCLE CROSS MODELS WITH HARD BAGS INCLUDING CROSS COUNTRY, CROSS ROADS, AND HARDBALL. HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH POLARIS THE PARENT COMPANY OF VICTORY MOTORCYCLES AND GOT A CASE NUMBER FROM THEM AND NOTIFIED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AS WELL. SO FAR HAVE NO RESULTS OR ANY CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE RIGHT SIDE LATCH MECHANISM ON THE SADDLEBAG HAS NO ADJUSTMENT. OVER TIME THE HOOP HAS WORN INTO THE LATCH WEARING THE ALUMINUM PART. OVER TIME THIS WALL CAUSE A FAILURE ON THE LATCH MECHANISM WHICH WILL ALLOW THE SADDLEBAG TO FLY OPEN. THIS COULD STARTLE A LESS EXPERIENCED RIDER CAUSING A CRASH SINCE THE LARGE LIDS ACT LIKE WINDSAILS. ALSO ANY CONTENTS IN THE BAG LIGHT ENOUGH TO FLOAT OUT, SUCH AS GLOVES, SWEATERS, RAIN GEAR ETC COULD CAUSE CRASHES FROM OTHERS FOLLOWING IN A GROUP RIDE OR EVEN IN A 4 WHEELED PASSENGER VEHICLE IF THEY BECOME STARTLED AND ATTEMPT TO SWAY AND SWERVE AWAY FROM WHATEVER ITEM MAY FLOAT OUT OF BAG. *TR

THERE IS NOTICEABLE WEAR ON A LATCH ON MY RIGHT SIDE (THROTTLE SIDE) SADDLEBAG. THE LATCH THAT KEEPS THE BAG CLOSED IS WEARING OUT FROM AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED LATCH CATCH. WHAT I CAN TELL IS THAT POLARIS INDUSTRIES (VICTORY MOTORCYCLE DIVISION) IS USING THE EXACT SAME LATCH FOR THE RIGHT SIDE SADDLE BAG AND LEFT SIDE SADDLE BAG. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS ONLY WEAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE LATCH BECAUSE IT IS ACTUALLY DESIGNED FOR THE LEFT SADDLE BAG ONLY. POLARIS IS NOT CONSIDERING THIS A DEFECT OR A PROBLEM. INSTEAD OF DOING A RECALL, THEY ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE CONSUMER FOLLOWS A YOUTUBE VIDEO FROM A AFTER MARKET VENDOR TO MODIFY THE HOLES ON THE LATCH CATCH TO MOVE IT BACK ABOUT 5/16". ONCE YOU DO THAT, THE WEAR IS SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY. THERE ARE SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE CROSS COUNTRY BIKES WHO HAVE THIS WEAR. CHECK OUT THE WEB PAGE, HTTP://THEVOG.NET AND SEARCH FOR SADDLE BAG LATCH WEAR. YOU WILL SEE SEVERAL OWNERS WITH THE COMPLAINT AND PHOTOS. I WOULD LIKE POLARIS INDUSTRIES TO OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL OF ALL CROSS COUNTRY BIKES WITH SADDLEBAG LATCH PROBLEMS AND REPLACE THE LATCHES. *TR

THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS SELF-CANCELING TURN SIGNALS. THE CANCELLATION OF ACTIVATED TURN SIGNALS, ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, DEPENDS ON SEVERAL FACTORS, SUCH AS SPEED, DISTANCE, AND DURATION. HOWEVER, THE ACTION OF THE TURN SIGNALS IS OFTEN INCONSISTENT, GIVEN IDENTICAL FACTORS. FURTHER, CANCELLATION OFTEN OCCURS AFTER AS FEW AS THREE FLASHES; AGAIN, THIS CONDITION DOES NOT OCCUR IN A CONSISTENT FASHION, EVEN WHEN FAITHFULLY DUPLICATING THE ALLEGED CONDITIONS OF CANCELLATION. IF THE TURN SIGNALS CANCEL PREMATURELY WHILE THE RIDER OF THE MOTORCYCLE IS STOPPED, AWAITING A TURN, DRIVERS FOLLOWING THE MOTORCYCLE MAY HAVE NO (OR INSUFFICIENT) INDICATION THAT THE OPERATOR IS STATIONARY. THIS SITUATION MAY RESULT IN A CRASH, AS THE RIDER MAY BE STRUCK FROM BEHIND. SIMILARLY, VEHICLES APPROACHING THE RIDER FROM THE FRONT MAY HAVE NO (OR INSUFFICIENT) INDICATION THAT THE OPERATOR IS STATIONARY AND IS PLANNING ON TURNING; THIS MAY RESULT IN THE RIDER'S BEING STRUCK FROM THE FRONT OR SIDE. *TR

THE LATCHING MECHANISM ON THE RIGHT SIDE HARD SADDLEBAG IS WEARING THROUGH, AS A RESULT OF (NON-ADJUSTABLE) MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE LATCH ON THE SADDLEBAG'S LID AND THE KEEPER BAR ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SADDLEBAG. IF THE PORTION OF THE LATCH THAT IS WEARING THROUGH FAILS, THE LID OF THE SADDLEBAG CAN OPEN WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS IN MOTION; IF THIS OCCURS, THE CONTENTS OF THE SADDLEBAG MAY FALL OUT, AND SUCH CONTENTS CAN JAM THE REAR WHEEL -- RESULTING IN A CRASH OF THE MOTORCYCLE -- OR CAN FLY ONTO OR IN FRONT OF OTHER VEHICLES (ALSO RESULTING IN A CRASH). *TR

ANYTIME THE MOTORCYCLE GETS WET THE ELECTRICAL ACTS STRANGE. SOMETIMES THE CRUISE DOESN'T WORK. OFTEN TIMES WHEN I PULL THE CLUTCH HANDLE MY HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS WILL BLINK. IF I GET RAINED ON FOR A PERIOD OF TIME MY TURN SIGNALS WILL CEASE FUNCTIONING UNTIL THE BIKE HAS SPENT SEVERAL HOURS DRYING OUT. I BELIEVE THE TURN SIGNALS NOT FUNCTIONING AS WELL THE HAZARDS BLINKING WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PULLED IN POSE AN IMMINENT THREAT TO MYSELF OR TO OTHERS AROUND ME SINCE MY INTENTIONS ARE EITHER BEING MISREPRESENTED BY THE HAZARDS OR I'M UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY SIGNAL TO THOSE AROUND ME MY INTENTIONS TO TURN OR MAKE A LANE CHANGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VICTORY CROSS COUNTRY MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, ALL OF THE REAR LIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 3,000. UPDATED 10/16/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER LOCATED A LOOSE GROUND (PIN) TYPE PLUG UNDER REAR FENDER THAT CAUSED THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED AS OF 10/4/2012. UPDATED 10/18/2012 *JS

WHILE DRIVING ON A COUNTRY ROAD THE CLUTCH CABLE FAILED. WHERE I WAS ROLLING AND IN NO TRAFFIC, IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM TO GET TO A SAFE LOCATION AND STOP. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A BUSY INTERSECTION THE BIKE COULD HAVE LURCHED UNCONTROLLABLY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE INABILITY TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH IS VERY SERIOUS ON A MOTORCYCLE, MUCH MORE SO THAN ON A CAR. *TR